Great Britain’s Billie Jean King Cup captain backs Emma Raducanu to represent the country very soon after pulling out of the tournament
Emma Raducanu, who played a key role in leading Great Britain to the Billie Jean King Cup semifinals last year, has withdrawn from the competition this year.
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Emma Raducanu and Anne Keothavong (image via Sky Sports)
Five months on from the heartbreak of Malaga, where they came close to battling for the Billie Jean King Cup trophy before succumbing to Slovakia in a brutal semi-final, Great Britain will begin their pursuit of the 2025 edition of the tournament on Friday, where they’ll face Germany. Although they are yet to clinch the trophy, Great Britain has reached the finals on five occasions, 1967, 1971, 1972, 1981, and 2022.
However, this year Great Britain will compete without their No. 2 female tennis player, Emma Raducanu. Raducanu was a key figure in the team’s good performance last year. In 2024, she ended the year with five wins and no defeats in the competition.
This year, Raducanu has withdrawn from the qualifying rounds, citing the need to prioritize her fitness. Great Britain’s team captain, Anne Keothavong, said on Thursday that she was empathetic to Raducanu’s decision.
Naturally disappointed… But I understand where she’s coming from. She gave a lot to this team last year and was a huge part of the reason why we achieved the success that we did. I’ve got five players here who are highly motivated, who are excited to be here, and are well prepped. I really hope Emma will be part of this again in the future.
Anne Keothavong told the The Guardian
Keothavong still boasts a solid team picked from the deepest pool of players Great Britain has had in many years. This year’s squad comprises Katie Boulter, Sonay Kartal, Harriet Dart, Jodie Burrage, and Olivia Nicholls. Among these players, Boulter and Kartal are inside the WTA Top 60.
Emma Raducanu made a strong comeback with the Miami Open
Emma Raducanu has had a tough yet remarkable season so far. The 22-year-old started off the season with the Australian Open, where she reached the third round of the tournament for the first time. She had a series of opening round exits in her next few tournaments.
Albeit ending her opening round exit streak at the Dubai Tennis Championships, Raducanu faced a harrowing experience with a stalker in Dubai, which caused her to burst into tears during her round of 32 match in Dubai.
After another opening round exit at the Indian Wells, she turned the tables at the Miami Open. She made her first real breakthrough on the WTA tour since her 2021 US Open title run by reaching the quarterfinals of the Miami Open.
Akin to Raducanu, World No. 2 Iga Swiatek has also withdrawn from representing Poland in the Billie Jean King Cup qualifying rounds this year, citing the need for balance and focusing on herself and her training. The five-time Grand Slam champion has had a rather inconsistent season so far, not being able to reach the finals of any tournament she has played in.
Swiatek has also been instrumental in team tournaments for Poland in the last few months. After defeating the Czech Republic in a quarterfinal tie at the 2024 Billie Jean King Cup, with Swiatek winning in singles and doubles, Poland made the semifinals of the tournament for the first time in their nation’s history. In the semifinals Poland lost to Italy, the eventual champions. Swiatek also led Poland to the 2025 United Cup finals, where they eventually lost to the USA.
Great Britain faces Germany in the 2025 Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers
Great Britain and Germany are relatively familiar foes in the Billie Jean King Cup, having played each other on seven prior occasions. Their most recent encounter was at the 2024 Finals when Great Britain surged through to the quarter-finals courtesy of a 2-0 victory, sealed by singles victories for Katie Boulter and Emma Raducanu.
The German squad this year comprises Eva Lys, Laura Siegemund, Tatjana Maria, Jule Niemeier, and Anna-Lena Friedsam. Three of them are in the top 100- Lys, Maria, and Siegemund, who is also a top doubles player. Before facing Great Britain, Germany faced defeat to the Netherlands in the opening round-robin match.
Eight teams will contest the Billie Jean King Cup finals this year, down from 12. The ITF announced on Thursday that the finals, which will take place in Shenzhen, China, has been postponed forward by two months and will take place between 16 and 21 September during the WTA’s Asia swing.
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